Monday, September 25, 2017

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s
Monday! What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have
read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great
way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put
new titles on your reading list.

I will be combining my
YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup. YA and
middle grade reviews will still be posted on Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.

Other Than Reading...

This was a pretty ordinary week for the start of Fall. Air conditioning one day, heat the next. We are in a "hurry up and wait" phase with the Locust Street house sale. There are still a couple of things to do before we can close.

My townhouse in Eyota has made little progress. The realtor is planning an ad blitz and a couple of Open Houses to try to drum up some interest.

This coming week will see the electricians here to run power to the new garage. Otherwise the week should be quiet. My brother works through both lunch and dinner every day he works leaving it up to me to cook for myself and leave leftovers for him. He has Tuesday and Saturday off this week.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Description: When bounty hunter Liam Quinn discovered that Claire Connolly was a
Sensitive and infected with magic, he should have turned her in to be
locked up in the prison district known as Devil’s Isle. Instead, he
helped her learn to control her power and introduced her to an
underground group of Paranormals and humans who know the truth about the
war and those who fought it.

Now the weight of Liam’s own
secrets has forced him into hiding. When a government agent is killed
and Claire discovers that Liam is the prime suspect, she races to find
him before the government can. But she’ll discover proving his innocence
is no simple matter. Their enemies are drawing closer, and time is
running out....

My Thoughts: Liam Quinn was hit with a magical weapon and infected with magic in the previous book in this series. This was life-shattering for a man who made a career of hunting down paras and Sensitives and bringing them to Devil's Isle prison. He has disappeared on his girlfriend Claire Connolly who is left to survive in New Orleans as a hunted Sensitive.

When Claire learns that Liam is suspected in the death of a government agent named Broussard, she knows he was out of town and travels into the bayous with Liam's brother Gavin and a winged Para named Malachi to warn him - and to find out why he left her. Finding Liam only uncovers the tip of the iceberg for the large conspiracy that is threatening to bring war back to New Orleans.

Claire has come to terms - sort of - with the knowledge that her father kept her ignorant of lots of things to protect her. But now she is faced with one more lie he told her: her mother is not dead but chose to abandon her husband and daughter. Worse yet, she is a scientist who is perfecting a virus to wipe out all of the paranormals who are on this side of the veil.

Claire, Liam and their allies have to stop these plans and other even more sinister plans before the world they know, already battered, is destroyed.

This was an excellent episode in an engaging urban fantasy series. I like the world building. I like the relationships especially Claire's with Moses and with Liam. Claire is a great character who is dealing with a magical ability she didn't ask for and that she is just learning to use.

Favorite Quote:

Roy made a snorting sound. "If we killed everyone we didn't get along with, the world would be a much smaller place."

Friday, September 22, 2017

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice.
Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the
participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest,
the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

It had once been a lovely kitchen, with pale wood and granite, a pretty view of a courtyard garden, and an enormous refrigerator still dotted with photographs of what looked like a big, happy family. Father, mother, daughter, sons, and an enormous black dog, big enough for the kids to ride on.

But they were long gone now, cleared out like nearly everyone else in New Orleans when Paranormals flooded our world, leaving most of our city and much of the South in ruins.

Friday 56:

"But even if you had to leave to deal with it to ensure you had control, that was weeks ago, Liam. You couldn't send a message? You couldn't take five minutes to let us know where you were, how you were?

This week I am reading The Hunt by Chloe Neill. I got this eARC from NetGalley. Here is the description from Amazon:

When bounty hunter Liam Quinn discovered that Claire Connolly was a
Sensitive and infected with magic, he should have turned her in to be
locked up in the prison district known as Devil’s Isle. Instead, he
helped her learn to control her power and introduced her to an
underground group of Paranormals and humans who know the truth about the
war and those who fought it.

Now the weight of Liam’s own
secrets has forced him into hiding. When a government agent is killed
and Claire discovers that Liam is the prime suspect, she races to find
him before the government can. But she’ll discover proving his innocence
is no simple matter. Their enemies are drawing closer, and time is
running out....

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Description:Enter New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s
breathtakingly passionate Guild Hunter world with the story of a woman
who isn’t a vampire or an angel…or human…

Once a broken
girl known as Sorrow, Holly Chang now prowls the shadowy gray
underground of the city for the angels. But it’s not her winged allies
who make her a wanted woman—it’s the unknown power coursing through her
veins. Brutalized by an insane archangel, she was left with the
bloodlust of a vampire, the ability to mesmerize her prey, and a
poisonous bite.

Now, someone has put a bounty on her head…

Venom is one of the Seven, Archangel Raphael’s private guard, and he’s
as infuriating as he is seductive. A centuries-old vampire, his fangs
dispense a poison deadlier than Holly’s. But even if Venom can protect
Holly from those hunting her, he might not be able to save
himself—because the strange, violent power inside Holly is awakening…

No one is safe.

My Thoughts: This is Holly and Venom's story. Holly, who used to be called Sorrow, was attacked by Uram and forcibly made into a sort of vampire. She also has some angelic abilities and still has a human need for food. Since she wasn't made under contract, she has been taken into the tower where she is being watched and trained by the Seven and Raphael. No one, least of all Holly, are sure that she won't succumb to Uram's insanity.

When it is learned that someone has put a bounty of Holly, she is teamed up with Venom to find out who wants her. She and Venom have an interesting relationship. While everyone except his brothers in the Seven are afraid of Venom, Holly isn't intimidated. She finds him fascinating and enjoys teasing him. He returns the teasing. It is while they are investigating that their relationship changes into a romance which neither of them had anticipated.

While they are investigating, Holly also has to deal with the piece of Uram that he left in her and who is trying to take her over. Following where that piece is directing her takes them to Michaela's territory and Michaela's secret. They face all sorts of dangers as they infiltrate and even more dangers when the secret is discovered.

I liked seeing more about Venom and finding out more about his past and his reasons for being the way he is. I liked that Holly was a perfect match for him because she had her own power and stubbornness. I also liked that Holly saw the man behind the Venom persona.

Fans of the Guild Hunters series will enjoy this newest entry. In fact, anyone who loves paranormal romance will enjoy this story.Favorite Quote:

She didn't let go despite the warning in his tone. "I'm stubborn," she whispered. "Especially when it comes to people who matter." And he mattered. "You don't get to do the lone viper thing anymore."

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Description: As the head of the government’s secret
Vigilance spy program, computer guru China Mack already has her hands
full when her billionaire boyfriend, Jackson Cooper, asks for one of
them in marriage.

Thrown for a loop by the sudden proposal,
China’s usually well-ordered life takes another hit when someone tries
to assassinate the president. Even that comes with a shocking twist: the
primary suspect is none other than her ex-partner, Clark Slattery. With
nowhere else to turn, the sexy loner needs China’s help and expertise.
Clark has linked the assassination attempt to a failed secret operation
undertaken six years ago—and a deadly cover-up that’s putting the leader
of the free world in the crosshairs. But the president isn’t the only
one in harm’s way.

Now, China is going to have to dig deep for information that’s beyond even her clearance. And what she discovers may have far-reaching consequences for her life and everyone else in it.

My Thoughts: This episode begins with a fancy Valentine's Day date with China's boyfriend Jackson that ends with him proposing marriage. China is not at all sure that she is ready for marriage or wants to marry Jackson and is saved from answering his proposal when she gets a call saying the President has been shot.

She heads in to her secret workplace where she learns that surveillance video shows that the shooter looks suspiciously like her former partner Clark Slattery. When Clark comes to her with a bullet wound and asking for help, China finds herself trying to investigate who tried to kill the president and who shot Clark.

It also looks like whoever shot Clark isn't finished trying to kill him. She and Jackson wind up in a car accident which totals the brand new car Jackson just gave her. Clark and Jackson are both rivals for China's love and really don't like each other. But the three of them have to team up to find out who wants them dead.

Around the danger and investigation, a lot of this one is about China deciding which of these two hot - but very different - men is the right man for her. I liked China who is a genius who is also quite quirky and really into fandom. I could see why she has such a hard time believing that anyone could love her after meeting her family and learning a secret from her past.

This was an excellent, fast-paced romantic suspense title with a wonderful group of characters.

Favorite Quote:

Clark had almost been blown up. One part of my brain tried to process that while another part went through the ramifications. "Who's after you? And why? Was this the first time something like that has happened? Wait...someone's trying to kill you and you came here?" My voice rose as each question only panicked me more.

He gave an exasperated sigh, but I knew he's already caved. "Great. Then I'm the one Aiana comes after and yells at tomorrow. There are a lot of words for 'idiot' and 'bastard' in our language, and she knows them all. I even think she invented some."

About Me

I was a school library/media specialist for a small school district in Southeast Minnesota. I retired after 41 years in media centers in June 2017.
I love reading! My favorite genres are adult, YA and Middle Grade paranormals, science fiction/fantasy, and mysteries. I am also a fan of adult romances and romantic suspense.
I maintain two book blogs. Ms. Martin Teaches Media is used to blather about the YA books I read. Inside of a Dog is my home for the adult books I read.

NetGalley Badges

My Review Policy

Beginning January 1, 2012, I will no longer be accepting self-published books for review.

If I accept your book for review, I will agree to read, review, and post the review prior to the book's publication date only if I receive the book a minimum of 21 days before the book is published. Books arriving later than that will be reviewed as they fit into my review schedule.